The crazy, misguided, and exciting world of Hip-Hop: The Choco-Boy Wonder: The Best Pete Rock Produced albums Of All Time

In the nineties, few producers were on the level of Mount Vernon, NY native, Pete Phillips, aka Pete Rock. The self-professed "Chocolate Boy Wonder" used his signature mix of bumping drums underneath mostly soul, fuck, and jazz samples to deliver more times than not, magnificent results. The producer/DJ helped cultivate the NY boom-bap sound, along with the likes of DJ Premier and Da Beatminerz, but also implemented jazz sounds with the likes of Q-Tip and... well...Preemo as well. He's best known for being half of the short-lived, yet dynamic, duo, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and their ageless classic, "They Reminisce Over You", along with their albums, Mecca & the Soul Brother and The Main Ingredient. Since their unfortunate break-up, Pete has continued to evolve into one of the game's most influential and revered producers, and a true all-timer. An architect of the nineties NY sound, Pete Rock worked with the likes of Nas, AZ, Slum Village, Wu-Tang, and Rah Digga to some of today's artists such as Griselda, Torae, Skyzoo, and Smoke DZA. Not to mention he found a career resurgence with another nineties legend, Common, to deliver a seminal moment in hip-hop with The Auditorium Vol. 1 earlier this year. In this list, we give the one and only "Soul Brother #1 his flowers and salute him for his sonic (and occasionally lyrical) contributions. Here are fifteen of his best SOLELY produced albums that helped establish his dazzling legacy. Let's go, shall we?

15. Ed O.G. & Pete Rock

My Own Worst Enemy

Guests: Krumbsnatcha, Masta Ace, Diamond D, Jaysaun

We start this countdown with one of the early nineties underappreciated emcees, Boston's own Ed O.G. Known for his albums with Da Bulldogs, his dope debut Life of A Kid in The Ghetto and Roxbury 02119 are still very much considered very enjoyable albums and truthfully don't get as much love as they should. The creator of such gems as "Be A Father to Your Child", the infectious "Skinny Dip" and the touching eulogy to his father, "Love Comes & Goes" split from his crew, and went out fully on his own and dropped The Truth Hurts in 2000. However, it was in 2004 that he collaborated with Pete Rock to deliver the project, My Own Worst Enemy, and the results were quite pleasing. The first single was the Masta Ace-assisted "Wishing", and these two golden era emcees put on impressive performances over a rather dope instrumental. Pete's bouncy boom-bap is the focal point here in terms of sounds on the album. One good example is the collaboration with fellow Bostonites, Jaysaun and Krumbsnatcha, "Stop Dat", as the moderate neck-mover provides a nice bumper, as does the horn-heavy "Just Call My Name". On "Boston", Ed breaks down the pride and struggles of his native city over sick strings and knocking percussion, while on the Jaysaun-assisted "Pay The price", it gets darker, both in imagery and musically, with a brooding bassline and defining keys. While DJ Revolution and Diamond D contribute sonically on "Streets Is Calling" and Revolution" respectively, My Own Worst Enemy was primarily and mostly done by Pete and what he and Ed O.G. put together was a very satisfactory project that demonstrated a chemistry a lot of us never even knew they had, but they definitely sound damn good together.

14. Flee Lord & Pete Rock

The People's Champion

Guests: N/A

Far Rockaway, Queens' own, Flee Lord has been an in-demand emcee within NY's underground for almost a decade. The emcee co-signed by the late, great Prodigy has been known to hold his own with some of the best in the game and his signature rough NY delivery has put numbers on the board collaborating with the likes of Roc Marciano, Conway, Benny, and others. While he has amassed a fairly dope discography, one of his best works came in the form of his Pete Rock-crafted, The People's Champ. Pete's residential boom-bap mixed with the occasional jazzy tempos makes for quite the enjoyable cut on here such as "24 Hollows", "Surfin' with A K", and "Job Done". There's no doubt he keeps the streets with him, and cuts like "Mini Mac on The Fridge" and "Stuck on A Grip" are reflective of this with his gritty narratives and lyrics that would make P smile in his grave. Pete is far from a stranger conducting scores for the streets, and The People's Champ was a damn dope example of hitting the hood with that bumping thump that meshed well with the caliber of emcee Flee is.

13. Deda

The Original Baby Pa

Guests: Vinia Mojica

Fellow Mount Vernon native, Deda, was poised to be a credible and worthy name within the underground around the mid-nineties. His no-nonsense, New York gruff delivery was as classic, traditional New York as it got in those days. Pete Rock was setting up to release Deda's album, The Original Baby Pa when it met the same fate as INI did with their highly anticipated album, Center Of Attention. Label woes got the album shelved and we were never able to hear the album in its full creation until Pete released the double-sided album, Lost & Found: Hip-Hop Underground Soul Classics, which consisted of both the aforementioned albums. While Center Of Attention got mote acclaim value (and rightfully so), Deda's album wasn't shabby either. Nowhere near it. The funky soul samples Pete present on this album were enough for Deda to catch wreck on every track. Cuts such as "Everyman", "Blah Uno", and "I Originate" are dope examples of the magic of Pete, as Deda comes off decent to average for the majority of these cuts, but Pete makes him sound better than average for the most part. Pete provides more audio delight with the thick stylings of "Nothing More" and the neck-cramping "Baby Pa", not to mention the organ-heavy posse cut with his crew, The Ex-Cons, "Marked4death". While not every cut here is a animal, The Original Baby Pa is still a very suitable album for those that love that nineties Pete Rock sound. It just so happens that Deda is the man on the mic, and Pete Rock made him sound at ease over some of the overall best Pete Rock could deliver at that time.

12. Pete Rock

NY's Finest

Guests: Styles P, Sheek Louch, Jim Jones, Max B, Roc Marciano, Raekwon, Masta Killa, Redman, Royal Flush, others

With two critically acclaimed compilation albums under his belt in the form of Soul Survivor and Soul Survivor II, he returned to the format in '08 with NY's Finest. Living up to the ridiculousness of the Soul Survivor and the almost as dope Soul Survivor II is not easy, but could PR do it? Was he able to live up to the prior victories? We get bits of the answer in the form of the two singles from the album early on, with "The PJs" featuring Wu-soldiers, Raekwon and Ghostface, and "914" featuring The Lox's Sheek & Styles P, and we already are starting to get a clear answer, and it's a positive one. With Pete supplying this album with his signature thumping drum kicks, horns, keys, and samplings of jazz, funk, and soul. This formula rides well with cuts like the Papoose-featured "Comprehend", the Little Brother/Joe Scudda track, "Bring Y'all Back", and the Redman-guested, "Best Believe". Although we get more into the rugged nature of things with Royal Flush's "Questions", we get more into the funky side of things with the Kool & The Gang-sampled, Jim Jones and Max B-featured "We Roll". He even spit on the mic solo-wise on "Til I Retire", and Rell's "That's What I'm Talkin' Bout" throws some R&B in there, as he has done on both priors. Therefore, did NY Finest live up to the prior efforts that put Pete Rock among the hottest around with their compilations? Definitely. This was another sizzling effort from an all-time great behind the boards, and much like fellow legends such as DJ Premier and Dre, he brings the best out of the talent he worked with. Soul Brother #1 delivered once again.

11. Smoke DZA & Pete Rock

Don't Smoke Rock

Guests: Dave East, Jadakiss, Styles P, Royce Da 5'9", Big K.R.I.T., Wale, Rick Ross, Cam'ron, BJ The Chicago Kid, others

Harlem, NYC native, Smoke DZA, has been a fixture in the underground since 2011, with rather dope projects such as Dream.Zone.Achieve, Rolling Stoned, and the Harry Fraud-produced, Rugby Thompson. Collaborating with the likes of Ab-Soul, Joey Bada$$, Bun B, Benny the Butcher, the late, great Sean price, and even Kendrick Lamar, DZA's pedigree is none too shabby, and his collab with "Soul Brother Number One" was certainly no exception. Their album, the conveniently titled Don't Smoke Rock, was a smorgasbord of funky and soulful, occasionally gritty and consistently bumping, production. A very New York entrenched album, this effort brings an aura of nostalgia for its day without having to sound elderly. In fact, cuts like the Dave East-assisted opener, "Limitless", the Royce Da 5'9"-assisted hypnotic keys of "Hold the Drums" (can we POSSIBLY get a Royce/Pete Rock collab effort at some point in the future), and "1 Of 1" exemplify this excellently. DZA's delivery being one of a monotone, slightly stoned with clarity, brings a certain distinction over these PR tracks. He keeps he momentum with the Cam'ron-assisted "Movin' Weight Pt. 1" and the frequently repeatable cut with The Lox's Jadakiss & Styles P and smooth, yet extremely soulful, Grammy nominated R&B crooner, BJ The Chicago Kid "Milestone", while his collabs with Rick Ross ("Black Superhero Car") and the late, great Mac Miller ("Until Then") are also quite impressive, even more so are the searing PR tracks they all rhyme over. DZA and Pete Rock hit a home run with Don't Smoke Rock, and it can certainly be argued that the album is DZA's best project to date overall. We would hear these two later in the decade get up with Griselda/B$F kingpin, Benny The Butcher, for Statue Of Limitations, but this was a great introduction to their chemistry.

10. Smif-N-Wessun & Pete Rock

Monumental

Guests: Buckshot, Sean Price, Top Dog, Bun B, Raekwon, Memphis Bleek, Black Rob, Rockness Monstah, Styles P, others

You do not ever mention nineties NY hip-hop and not mention the legendary Boot Camp Clik. You don't mention the BCC and not mention Tek & Steele, aka Smif-N-Wessun. First being highlighted on Black Moon's disrespectfully rugged, Enta Da Stage, they emerged with one of the prized jewels of '94 (one of a HOST of classics and legendary outings), Dah Shinin'. This Beatminerz powerhouse was responsible for some of the most gritty and grainy cuts BCC ever delivered such as "Wontime", "Wrekonize", "Let's Git It On", and especially the staple known as "Bucktown". While following efforts such as The Rude Awakening (under their pseudonym Cocoa Brovaz), Smif N Wessun Reloaded, and Smif-N-Wessun: The Album didn't hit the acclaimed high as Dah Shinin', it never wavered their impact on NYC hip-hop. Not to mention solo efforts both men delivered as well. In 2011, Tek & Steele got up with the mighty PR to deliver Monumental, a fourteen-track tour de force that brought acclaim and flowers to Bucktown's "original gun clappers" (not to be confused with OGC of course). SMW may not have had Beatminerz production here, but trust and believe Pete Rock provided more than his share of thump and boom-bap just like Mr. Walt & Evil D. His signature sounds of jazz, soul, and funk-sampled influence is littered all over this effort and with sizzling results. The album starts decently with the title track but raises the bar with the following cuts of the Raekwon-assisted, "Prevail", the Sean P/Styles P-assisted, "That's Hard", and the Jeep-accessible, Memphis Bleek-guested, "Top of The World". Obviously, the other big story here is the fact that there are only three cuts SMW do by themselves. The rest of the album is flooded with numerous guest spots to the point where it can be excessive. Those three cuts of "Fire", "Go Off", and "Time To Say" are great cuts that remind us of that tag team chemistry Tek and Steele effectively possess and had been possessing for nearly twenty years at this point. The Rockness/Bun B-assisted, "Feel Me" have both emcees outshining SMW on many levels, but in fairness, Rock and Bun have tendencies to do that with most they work with. While not necessarily a spotless album, as cuts like the reggae-tinged "That One" and the shockingly bland Hurricane Gee-assisted, "Do It" don't fare up as well as most of the rest of the album. Given these flaws, Monumental is a dope addition to both artists' catalogs and shows that these nineties NY legends still deserve their spotlight and flowers in more than one capacity.

9. Camp Lo & Pete Rock

80 Blocks From Tiffany's II

Guests: Talib Kweli, M.O.P., Mac Miller, Ab-Soul, Tyler Woods, Uncle Murda

One of the single most underappreciated albums of the entire nineties was Uptown Saturday Night by Bronx duo, Camp Lo. Seen as unique innovators based upon their styles and deliveries, Geechi Suede and Sonny Cheeba presented an album in '97 that has been considered a gem of an album and one that keeps aging like fine wine with unforgettable tracks like the singles "Luchini (This Is It)" and the ever-soulful "Cooley High". From there, subsequent albums such as Black Hollywood, Another Heist, and Let's Do It Again would be modest received but not to the level of Uptown Saturday Night. When it was announced that they would collab with Pete Rock for a project entitled 80 Blocks From Tiffany's, the intrigue grew. Pete Rock is consistently known for his jazz/soul/funk fusion over neck-snapping drums, and Camp Lo's fascination with the Blaxploitation era would appear to be a match made in hip-hop heaven. This was evident on the first version of this project, which was a mixtape that got people buzzing, but they later brought it into a full-length album for its sequel, and the results were very dope. Pete's style of this funk/soul/jazz fusion works especially well on cuts like the opener featuring Talib Kweli, "Ladies & Gentlemen", "Let's Toast", and the ugly face-provoking dopeness of the Ab-Soul-assisted "Don't You Just Love It". Their vocal stylings that almost walk the lines of a lot of jazz rap artists are effectively blended and meshed well with the production of PR. Much like Ski did with Uptown, Pete Rock catered to their style while utilizing his natural talents to create fitting soundscapes for certain tracks, especially the likes of "Glitter & Gold", the title track, and "Pot O Gold". Perhaps the most peculiar pairing happens on here between them Brownsvillains themselves, M.O.P. on the otherwise dumb dope, "No Uniform" and again on the Uncle Murda-assisted "Clean Getaway". While just short of the magic Uptown Saturday Night captured in the mid to late nineties, 80 Blocks From Tiffany's II was a fun album to peep and presented a lot of the same elements that made Uptown a cult classic. Pete Rock is a master craftsman that knows how to present sonic imagery to fit the type of artist he's working with and did another sweet ass job here.

8. Pete Rock

Soul Survivor II

Guests: Krumbsnatcha, RZA, GZA, Pharoahe Monch, Little Brother, Talib Kweli, dead prez, CL Smooth, J Dilla, Slum Village, others

After a sizzling debut in '98 with Soul Survivor, Pete Rock wanted to duplicate the success of the project with his '04 sequel, Soul Survivor II. With this edition, he delivers more of the same, only a few more tracks that contains bits of ruggedness to them, and he is only rapping once on this project. Plus, as an added bonus, CL smooth is on three tracks on this album, and he brings his distinctive flair on the tracks "Appreciate", "Fly Til I die" with Talib Kweli (he does the hook but still...), and "It's a Love Thing". Going back to more of a ruggedness feel, this gets exemplified by tracks like the RZA & GZA cut, "Headrush", which could easily double for a Wu-Tang-sounding track if not for those signature Pete Rock drums, the gritty, piano-laced Krumbsnatcha cut, "Beef", and the Dilla rhymed, "Niggaz Know". It wouldn't be a Pete Rock album without some funk and jazz elements thrown in with the good vibe atmosphere, and we hear these on cuts like the Little Brother cut "Give It To Ya", the Kardinall Offishall cut, "We Good", and the Pharoahe Monch heater "Just Do it". It doesn't need to be further explained as to why Pete is mentioned among the greatest ever behind the boards, and truthfully behind the wheels as well. The sounds of Soul Survivor II are quintessential Pete Rock, and everybody shined in their own great way and of course Pete can bring some of the best out of any emcee.

7. Smoke DZA & Benny The Butcher

Statue Of Limitations EP

Guests: Westside Gunn, Styles P, Conway The Machine

Griselda was hitting on all cylinders in 2019. One-third of the Griselda three headed monster was Benny The Butcher. Aside from his own projects, especially the simply stellar WWCD with the other two faces of the click, he got up with fellow NY native, Smoke DZA, to deliver the excellent mixtape, Statue Of Limitations, with Mr. Phillips handling the production, and as usual, he commands the listener's attention with his boom-bap centered production that walks between funky and rugged often. They handle business on tracks like the Conway The Machine-assisted, "Bullets", the haunting "Drug Rap", and "Toast". They hit their collective shine the most on the piano-covered collab with Westside Gunn, "730", as Benny and DZA cover the cut with tons of shit talk and street talk over one of Pete's most infectious beats in recent years. Throughout the six track EP, Smoke DZA, Benny, and Pete Rock demonstrate a connection that deserves another project amongst the three of them. No question Statue Of Limitations is a beast of an EP and both DZA and Benny delivered hard.

6. INI

Center Of Attention

Guests: Q-Tip, Large Professor, Denise Weeks, Pete Rock

One of the late nineties' lost gems was INI's debut album, Center Of Attention. INI were a group from Mount Vernon, NY and consisted of Grap Luva, I Love H.I.M., Ras G, Marco Polo (not the producer), and DJ Budakhan, and founded by Pete Rock. Their hit, "Fakin' Jax", was an underground smash and put them on the radar of all backpackers waiting for their eventual release. Cue to label issues, the album, at the time called The Life I Live, shelved the album and the group disbanded. Pete eventually put the album on his Soul brother imprint and put the album on a double album that also hosted another album Pete was working on from fellow Mount Vernon emcee, Deda, and his debut, The Original Baby Pa. Despite not being released at the time formally, the bootleggers had a field day, as it was a massive hit in the streets. Pete delivered INI some of the most stellar production of his career at the time, coming through with knockers such as "Grown Man Sport", the especially crazy "Step Up", and the title track. Supplying them with mostly jazzy boom-bap production, the fellas sounded as lovely over the production as former Pete Rock partner, CL Smooth. While the group definitely make valiant attempts to be lyrical swordsmen, they pale in comparison to the thick, juicy, neck-snapping production of Mr. Rock. With horns, piano keys, strings, and mostly headache-like percussion, Pete Rock gave some of the most melodic beats to this group and with other highlights such as "The Life I Live", the Q-Tip/Large Professor-assisted "To Each His Own", and "Square One", Center Of Attention was a treasure of an album. One could only imagine how impactful the album would've been at the time if it would've been released in the mid to late nineties like it was supposed to be. Better late than never, INI may not be together anymore, but the album they, and Pete, delivered was quite the memorable one, and one that stands out among the very best Pete Rock albums ever.

5. Pete Rock

Soul Survivor

Guests: Prodigy, Inspectah Deck, Big Pun, Kurupt, CL Smooth, Kool G. Rap, Tragedy Khadafi, Method Man, Ghostface Killah, Raekwon, O.C., Heavy D, others

Heads in hip-hop had been waiting with high anticipation for Pete Rock to finally drop a compilation album, and in '98, the Mount Vernon-native delivered Soul Survivor to tremendous acclaim, and rightfully so. With as much respect as Pete had earned and garnered throughout the game, it was no surprise that several legit heavyweights came through to bless the Pete-produced gems and served them wonderfully. From the first single alone, "Tru Master" with Kurupt and Inspectah Deck, we knew this would be dumb dope, and boy, were we ever right. More Wu-Tang reps got on as well, as we heard Method Man (the neck-cramping "Half Man, Half Amazing"), Raekwon, Ghostface ("The Game", which also features a sick verse from the late, great Prodigy), and Cappadonna ("Strange Fruit", which also features Sticky Fingaz and QB legend, Tragedy Khadafi). While he also went the R&B route with Loose Ends on the sultry-sounding "Take Your Time" and the reggae/dancehall route with Beanie Man and cousin, another late, great legend in Heavy D on "Massive", it was his long awaited reunion with former partner-in-rhyme, CL Smooth that was the true MVP for the incredible, "Da Two", which reminded us once again that CL is truly "the best do ever do it on a Pete Rock track". Other guests such as the late Big Pun, Black Thought, Kool G. Rap, INI member Rob-O, and O.C. do such great work on tracks that are instantly enjoyable and worth pressing the repeat button several times. With Soul Survivor, Pete Rock officially proved his ability to hang with the true greats in hip-hop, as if he already wasn't strongly considered as one already. The year of '98 had true classics like Black Star's debut self-titled album, Aquemini, and Pun's debut, Capital Punishment, but one would be foolish not to put this album up right there with them.

4. Pete Rock & CL Smooth

Mecca & The Soul Brother

Guests: Heavy D, INI, Grand Puba

After a pretty impressive showing with their '91 EP, All Souled Out, little did we know this was just the appetizer for a much bigger meal that Pete Rock & CL Smooth had for us. They came back the very next year, and dropped what would be heralded as one of hip-hop's all-time amazing cuts, the somber yet touching, "T.R.O.Y. (They Reminisce Over You)". Dedicated to former Heavy D & The Boyz member, Trouble T-Roy, who died tragically from an accident after a show in Indianapolis, the song became arguably hip-hop's signature eulogy song and became a staple in hip-hop. The song was the first single from their album, Mecca & The Soul Brother, and this was quite the funky, neck-moving album. Once you've wiped your tears away thinking of that fallen loved from "T.R.O.Y.", we turn the vibes up. The second single, for example, "Straighten It Out", is a horn-heavy cut that has CL spitting about industry BS and bootlegging. Other cuts such as the soulfully thick "For Pete's Sake", "Act Like Ya Know", and "It's Like That" are worthy of bumping heavy in the whip. They occasionally get conscious on the cuts "Anger in The Nation" and "Ghettos of The Mind", and also bring elements of love and romance on "Lots of Lovin'", and sexual innuendos on the Grand Puba-assisted "Skinz". They get back to just plain old fashioned hip-hop with the Heavy D/Rob-O-assisted "the Basement", in which this could easily be among the impressive showings from Heavy D at this time over a track you typically wouldn't hear Heav represent over. This first full-length effort from PR & CL, Mecca & The Soul Brother, established them as a seminal MC/producer duo within the early nineties, competing with the likes of Gangstarr, and much like them, their second album put them on the map, as if "T.R.O.Y." didn't do that already.

3. Skyzoo & Pete Rock

Retropolitan

Guests: Elzhi, Griselda, Styles P, Raheem Devaughn

It was only a matter of time before we got something between Pete and Brooklyn wunderkind, Skyzoo. Skyzoo has made a name for himself for nearly two decades and has one of the best and most consistent discographies in all of hip-hop. Albums such as The Salvation, Music For My Friends, In Celebration of Us, the exceptional All the Brilliant Things and the fantastic offering of 2023, The Mind of A Saint, all certify this. Greatly contributing to this was his album with Pete in 2019, Retropolitan, which was as New York of a sounding album as you'd come to hear in this time. To no surprise, Pete brings lots of thump with his signature elements of jazz, funk, and soul for Sky to eloquently spit over. Cuts like "Homegrown", "Penny Jerseys", and "Glorious" all have a vintage feel to them without sounding dated. That's mostly the point of this album: bringing a nostalgia feel without sounding hokey or too old-school. Instead, Pete reminds us of why NY was the Mecca for so many years. The Styles P-assisted, "Carry On Tradition" and "It's All Good" literally sound like mid-90s Pete Rock just updated to today's times, which regardless is excellent. The peak standouts come in the form of the final two cuts on this effort. The Griselda/Elzhi-assisted, "Eastern Conference All-Stars" is one of the dopest posse cuts you'll hear in today's NY hip-hop. To no shock, Conway, Benny, Elzhi, and Sky rip this outstanding Pete Rock track up, with Westside Gunn not doing too shabby either. To close the album out, "The Audacity Of Dope" shows Sky exhibiting his niche of ambition mixed with confidence yet humility over a searing PR track. The beauty of Retropolitan is that Sky and PR are New Yorkers to the soul, and Retropolitan is a wonderful throwback to the sound of NY the standard bearer for at least two decades.

2. Pete Rock & CL Smooth

The Main Ingredient

Rob-O, Grap Luva, Vinia Mojica

It was a tall task trying to follow up such a fantastic debut full-length like Mecca and the Soul Brother, and Pete Rock & CL Smooth were aware of this. Therefore, they returned in '94 (arguably hip-hop's best overall year) with The Main Ingredient. Did it live up to the expectations set by Mecca and the Soul Brother? BOY did it. This effort from them is seen as perhaps the duo's most fluid and cohesive album, and rightfully so. Pete Rock's production was stepped up even more than Mecca and CL brought more confidence and certified himself as one of the true emcees of their time. While the first single, "I Got A Love" was a great way to introduce the album, it was the forever sampled cut of Keep Rising to The Top"-flavored, "I'll Take U there" that really got heads open, with Pete Rock's tough percussion over the timeless Kenny Burke cut. This very infectious cut was only followed by the Roy Ayers-sampled "Searching", and we knew this would be an album that would highly compete with the other legendary albums of that year such as Illmatic, Ready To Die, The Diary, Word...Life, and Stress: The Extinction Agenda. Once you hit the play button, you were either frequently hitting the repeat button or letting the entire album play with zero skips or fast forwards. The first track alone was enough to get you moving with "In the House", a neck-snapping cut that's as fun to listen to as it is dope to hear how good CL is over Pete Rock production. They keep the electricity coming with cuts like "Sun Won't Come Out", "Carmel City", and the excellent title track. While this album doesn't contain a centerpiece smash like "T.R.O.Y.", it doesn't deter from how infectious PR's production choices are here and how each song is as dope of a cut as the prior. One can't deny the sounds of the tremendous posse cut, "In the Flesh" with INI member Rob-O and Deda, while the ever soulful "All the Places" keeps the momentum going in such glorious fashion. It's not hard to see why many have called The Main Ingredient a classic, which considering the year '94 was, says a mouthful. What Pete Rock & Cl Smooth assembled with The Main Ingredient was Pete Rock's most exceptional song for song produced album for a few decades, and while this was sadly the final album from these two together, they can be assured that The Main Ingredient cemented them as one of the nineties best duos with two albums that people still regard as highly memorable efforts.

1. Common & Pete Rock

The Auditorium Vol. 1

Guests: Posdnous, Bilal, Jenifer Hudson, PJ

It was late in 2023 when two of nineties hip-hop's most impactful talents, Common and Pete Rock, stated that they were collaborating for an upcoming album, and immediately heads were anticipating it. After some months of posting studio sessions online, the announcement came that their first ever collab album was coming in the summer and the title was The Auditorium Vol. 1. There was a teaser single that dropped called "Tryin'", and it was enough to send shivers up the collective spine of many a hip-hop enthusiast with the thick drums and vocal sample. Unfortunately, it wasn't going to be a p-art of the album, but that was okay because based off the instant favorite, Common's love letter to "H.E.R.", "Dreamin'", we were going to be in great hands. Folks, this album is arguably the most bananas album in many years from both artists. The last album we got from Common was the two-part series, A Beautiful Revolution, which was an overall great album that showed his afro-centric nature, as well his social commentary and the important of family and culture. On the other hand, Pete Rock's last efforts were his aforementioned project with Skyzoo, Retropolitan, and AMXXR's 21 Grams: Worth Its Weight In Soul in 2019 and 2021 respectively. Both of these legends came together to deliver an unforgettable project. From the official first single, "Wise Up", Common displayed a reborn ferocity we haven't seen in over a decade and a half when to comes to just lyricism over a MC Shan-scratched sample. He continues this youthful hunger on other cuts like "Fortunate", "All Kind of Ideas" (this is the only cut that actually has Pete, himself, rapping on it), and especially the incredible, and highly appropriately titled, "Stellar", which could easily stand among one of the finest album cuts Pete has produced in several years. In terms of overall themes, it's nothing breakthrough for Common, nor does he necessarily have to stray from what he's passionate about: Black culture, hip-hop culture, spirituality, and just general grown man rap. These are evident on other excellent cuts like the soulfully jazzy Posdnous of De La Soul-assisted "When the Sun Shines Again" (which also features the hook sung by frequent collaborator, the exquisite Bilal), the blissful Jennifer Hudson-assisted "A God (There Is)", the Lauryn Hill-scratched sampled "Chi-Town Do It". and the simply fantastic vocal sampled, "Lonesome". Nothing too head heavy, just good old fashioned hip-hop for the soul and the speakers. What Common and Pete Rock did with The Auditorium Vol. 1 was special. This is as fundamental hip-hop as it gets from two of the most revered and esteemed artists of their crafts in all of hip-hop. From top to bottom, this flows as smooth as a river and Pete's style of jazzy, soulful boom-bap doesn't sound dated, in fact it sounds as fresh as ever, not sounding this outstanding consistently since he and Cl's The Main Ingredient. Along with Common's reinvigorated delivery and focus, this is easily Common's best effort since '05's timeless classic, Be, and for very good reason. When you mention Common classics, you're buggin' if this isn't in your top three of all-time, and the same with Mr. Pete Phillips.

As you can see, Pete Rock delivered some of the game's most phenomenal music, and he's not done either. Never dumbing down his sound or catering to any current sonic trend, he has remained true to the sound that got him his acclaim in the first place and is steadfastly devoted to it. Coming off the exceptional instant classic that is The Auditorium Vol. 1, one would hopefully expect a Vol. 2 at some point. As rumors swirl about a Soul Survivor III in 2025, one can hope that, and other dumb dope music will follow. Also, don't be surprised to hear more from him in the coming months as well, and you best believe we will be eagerly awaiting anything new from the Soul Brother #1. Until next time!

Here are some the very best from Soul brother #1

Pete Rock & Large Professor "The Rap World"

Pete Rock & Cl Smooth "In The House"

All City "Priceless"

Lost Boyz feat. Pete Rock "The Yearn"

Pete Rock & CL Smooth "What's Next On the Menu"

Rakim "The Saga Begins"

K-Solo "Letterman"

AZ "Gimme Yours"

Pete Rock & CL Smooth "They Reminisce Over You"

Common & Pete Rock "Stellar"

INI feat. Pete Rock "Fakin' Jax"